The Realities of Life
by ioanhoratio
Summary: Add-on to 8X02 Keeping It Real.  Sometimes life needs adjusting.  Changes are necessary, but learning to live with them can be difficult.  What Danny and Lindsay do at the end of a busy day to make time for each other.


**The Realities of Life**

**By: ioanhoratio**

**A/N: Dusting off my laptop. This is an episode one shot to last week's episode **_**Keep It Real**_**. I've been trying to get this posted since last Wednesday, but failed. This is an idea I've had since I first heard about Danny & Lindsay's storyline over the summer, but it has really grown! There is even more to it but I've decided to break it up and work the rest into a different story or maybe as an add-on to this week's episode. Any hoo, this one got a little bit away from me and wound up with an M rating. I'm not sure if this one went from brain to the paper as well as others, but you guys will let me know LOL! **

**As I told** rhymenocerous **there are some similarities between this story and hers. They are unintentional, and she was nice enough to encourage me to post it anyway. Thanks gal! This is for Danielle (**Daniellegirli**) for her gentle nudging to post a story. Thank so much!**

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><p>Danny grinned and gave a small chuckle as he approached the door to his family's apartment. Apparently Lindsay and Lucy had been hard at work that evening, since sitting outside in the hallway next to the door, were two painted pumpkins. It wasn't hard to guess who had painted them. One looked like a rainbow had puked its guts out as several colors mixed and swirled all over one side of the pumpkin. Lucy loved craft projects and anytime her nearly three year old hands could get in some paint one knew a mess was immediate. Her particular style left a bit to be desired but he was proud of her all the same. The other had a goofy face painted on it. The stylings of his wife always made him grin; leave it to her to paint a cute funny smiley face on what is typically meant to be scary. That reminded Danny to make a note to ensure he had Halloween night off. He wasn't going to miss seeing his daughter trick-or-treat for the first year she was actually old enough to be excited about it. He'd missed enough in her life recently.<p>

With a sigh he quietly opened the door, letting himself in. It was about 9:30 p.m. which meant Lucy had been in bed for hours, but he should be able to get to spend some time with Lindsay before the day closed on their activities. He frowned as he entered the quiet, darkened apartment.

He began wondering the apartment confused, it really was too early for his wife to be in bed, but her lack of presence sent a feeling of disappointment through him. It had been such a struggle recently to find time for each other. Between her job and his there didn't seem to be enough hours in the day. Their schedules always seemed to be conflicting.

He stuck his head in the kitchen and found it empty, but it was clear his wife had been there. The stack of dishes he'd promised to take care of when he got home from work was already gone and the counter tops spotless. He pulled open the fridge and saw his plate of food in a large clear zip lock bag with a post-it in Lindsay's pretty cursive handwriting, "Hot Stuff, warm me up!" He smiled. His wife was so goofy and he loved her for it. He had grabbed a burger on the way home—too hungry to wait—so figuring he'd just take the plate of food to work with him for lunch tomorrow he closed the door.

He continued to move through the apartment, straining his ears for any sound that would help him know where his wife had gotten to. He paused, as he did every night, at the door to his daughter's room. Peeking in to ensure everything was ok, and to give himself peace of mind, and, as he did every night, he walked in and covered her back up because she had kicked her blanket onto the floor.

He gave a sad smile as he noted the pacifier in her mouth. When Lucy had turned two the binky had become a bedtime only item, and now that she was headed towards three the policy was she only got the binky on particular fussy or hard nights. Seeing that she needed the extra comfort tonight made Danny wonder and worry about her. He shook his head as he slowly backed out of the room. He had missed too many bath and bedtimes recently.

As he rounded the corner he saw the light from their bedroom, but as he entered he still saw no sign of his wife. There was a pile of clean laundry on the bed waiting to be folded or hung, which he knew had become part of Lindsay's night time ritual. Danny ran a frustrated hand over his face. He wasn't sure why but all the emotions of the past few months, the separation and upheaval in his life and his family's life was catching up to him as he considered all the extra work his career choice had put on his wife. While her doing the laundry wasn't a new thing—he normally avoided it like the plague, and to Lindsay that was just fine, one too many shrunk shirts—but he'd always been able to contribute in other ways; making sure the garbage was taken out, or washing and loading the dishwasher, or helping with dinner, or Lucy's daily needs. Now, however, Lindsay had quietly absorbed most of those responsibilities, insisting that it was what was needed, and they were all making sacrifices for the family. She preferred to have him spend what time he could with Lucy rather than worry about household chores, but Danny worried about it constantly. He worried about her.

He pressed forward to look in the last place in their apartment she could be and there he found her dozing in the bath tub. Her head rested against the bath pillow she had gotten as a birthday gift from him mom that year and the air was heavy with the vanilla lavender scent of the bath beads Lindsay liked to use to relax. Judging by the light dusting of fading bubbles that rested atop the water, Lindsay had probably been in the tub for a while. He cringed as he thought of how cool the water must be now.

"Linds," he called softly, not wanting to startle her.

As expected her eyes flew open and she sat up suddenly sending some water over the edge of the tub onto the light blue rug on the floor. "Danny?"

"You expected someone else?" he joked. "You better not be, and not in that outfit."

Lindsay blinked owlishly at him several times and shook her head before declaring, "Hey, I know you…you're that Sergeant right?"

Danny just raised his eyebrow at her and, ignoring her comment, pointed out, "You dozed off."

"Apparently."

"You know I hate it when you do that."

"Yeah, well I didn't mean to," she added belligerently, and then moaned, "my fingers are all wrinkly…what time is it?"

"A little after 9:30," he answered.

"What? I've been in the tub nearly an hour?" she cried surprised, "No wonder the water is so chilly."

Danny moved to grab her a towel and help her up but she shook her head. "Not yet, the whole reason I got in here was so I could wash my hair. Lucy got a little carried away with the paint tonight."

For the first time Danny noticed the streaks of paint in Lindsay's hair. "Geez, What'd she do to get all that in your hair?" he asked sympathetically.

"As we were painting our pumpkins, you saw them right?" she interrupted her own story to ask.

He smiled and nodded as he reached over to let allow some of the cold water to drain out. "They're cute."

Lindsay grinned, pulling her knees up and wrapping her arms around them. "I think so. Lucy decided they needed names so she named mine Pumpkin Head and hers Jimmy."

Danny nearly choked on his laughter. "Pumpkin Head and Jimmy, huh?"

"I know! Here's hoping she's developed better naming skills when it comes time for grandchildren."

Danny narrowed his eyes. He could tell by the gleam in Lindsay's eye she was teasing him. He hated the idea of his little girl growing up and finding a guy to…well…he just wouldn't think about it. "I don't know, Pumpkin Head Messer has a nice ring to it," he said simply then added with wink, "Obviously it's a girl's name."

"Obviously," Lindsay agreed dryly, "Anyway, we were painting them and Lucy decided it would be more effective for her to use her fingers than an actually paint brush and by the end of it we were both covered in paint."

Satisfied he'd let out enough of the cooled water he turned the knob and soon hot steaming water began flowing into the tub. He stood and silently began peeling his clothes away. Lindsay watched him, a small smile playing on her lips.

Neither spoke as Danny, freed from the confines of clothing, stepped into the water and slid in behind Lindsay, who had immediately adjusted to allow him to fit then settled herself against his chest.

"Hello," she said softly, gazing up at him.

"Hi," he responded with a contented sigh, as he began relaxing in the warming water. Their fingers interlaced as they both swirled the water around their bodies, working the hot water around the tub.

Once she was contented with the temperature of the water she lifted her leg and used her foot to stop the flow. Danny shifted a bit to ensure the bath pillow was more comfortably situated, then closed his eyes and breathed in the warmth and the scent of his wife. They lay in silence; the only sound was the soft hum of the baby monitor from the counter near the sink. He felt the stress drain away, only to be replaced by desire; desire for the naked body that was pressed so closely to his.

Lindsay rested her head back against his shoulder, her forehead pressed against his neck. She moved her arms to wrap themselves around his and began gently running her fingernails up and down his skin, giving just enough pressure to so she wasn't tickling him. He loved when she did that. His eyes closed as he focused his sensations surrounding his body.

"See?" Lindsay asked lazily a few minutes later.

"Hmm?" Danny grunted without opening his eyes.

"It's pretty easy to fall asleep in here," she defended.

Danny peeled open an eye and twisted his head around enough to see the triumphant grin on her face. She winked at him before closing her eyes and snuggling further back into him.

Danny raised his arm, bringing her arm with it and swiped playfully at her nose. It took only a second to reach out and grab the cup they use to wash Lucy's hair and before Lindsay had a chance to react he had scooped up some of the water and dumped it unceremoniously on her head.

Surprised, Lindsay pushed up sputtering and untangling her arms from his, wiped at her face, sending water flying in all directions.

"Oh, you jerk," she accused turning on him, trying to give Danny a glare, but knowing her bangs were now plastered to her face she doubted she looked very intimidating.

"What?" Danny asked innocently, "You said you needed your hair washed."

Lindsay's chest was heaving, and Danny watched riveted as a few droplets fell from the tips of her hair to land on the curve of her breast and roll down to the valley between.

Lindsay glowered at him, frustrated that one minute he could dump water on her making her want slug him and the next he could stare at her like that and make her want to jump his bones and kiss him as hard as she could.

"You are so beautiful," Danny breathed, bringing a hand to move her wet bangs off her face, his fingers then following the trail of water drops.

Lindsay couldn't help the shiver that moved through her body. His touch was intoxicating and his words were powerful. She knew. She knew that sitting awkwardly in the bathtub, stripped of clothes, make-up, and distractions—her imperfection laying completely bare to him—he was telling the truth. To him, she was beautiful.

She could see it in his face, and in the response of his body. He wanted her.

She turned fully so that she could move to straddle his lap. He sat up slowly, his arm reaching out to her again, but to her surprise his hand went passed her head, and Danny leaned in close to whisper, "Work first, then play."

Lindsay felt goose bumps on her arms at the way his voice rumbled through her. He pulled back revealing the bottle of shampoo in his hand. He gave her a cheeky grin and Lindsay laughed then slid back some so she could drop fully under the water. She felt Danny give her big toe a tweak and she came back up laughing.

Danny helped her wipe the water out of her eyes then proceeded to squeeze her shampoo in his hand before slowly moving his fingers through her hair. The sweet smell that he always associated with her and loved to distraction filled the air as he massaged her scalp causing the foam to build.

"Mmm, that feels nice," Lindsay smiled, enjoying the feel of his hands in her hair.

Danny kissed her chin then instructed, "Close your eyes baby."

Lindsay grinned at the words they used when washing Lucy's hair, but followed the command. Warm water rained down as Danny poured out the cup, washing away the suds. It took several more cups of water but soon her hair was free of soap and paint.

Lindsay pushed her wet hair back and smiled coyly at him. "Alright Officer, all my work is done. Am I free to go?"

Danny gave her a glare.

"Sorry, I meant Sergeant," Lindsay appeased, her fingers stepping slowly up his chest. "My mistake."

He moved to her and quickly she met him. The kiss was gentle at first, just lips pressed against lips, but it wasn't enough and soon it was a deep soulful kiss that involved their entire bodies. It was nipping, grinding, sucking, moving, squeezing—it was passion.

The time apart had heightened their desperation for each other. It made them reckless and wild. Neither bothered masking their moans as entered her, nor did they mind the puddle that was forming on the bathroom floor as their movements sent waves over the edge of the tub.

"Linds," Danny called out, his voice strained. "Baby, I'm not going to last."

"It's ok baby," she assured him breathlessly, refusing to slow her pace as she bounced on top of him, riding him to his release. "Just enjoy it."

Danny wanted to argue to be strong enough to focus on her pleasure but she felt too good, and he had missed the vision she made as her breasts moved up and down. The gasps of pleasure that fell from her lips as her nose pressed against his cheek sent him over the edge. His grip on her hips tightened as his orgasm took over.

"Lindsay!" He cried out as his head fell back and he released himself into her.

The sensation of his release deep within her was enough to spark her own small climax and she shuddered, arching her back and chanting his name.

Breathing hard Lindsay asked, "Does this make up for missing lunch today?"

Danny chuckled. "I could make a joke about preferrin' a slice of pizza…"

Lindsay scoffed and slapped his chest.

He leaned forward and captured her lips in a searing kiss. "It doesn't make up for it," he confessed once they pulled apart, "because missed time with you will always be somethin' I regret. But this was definitely awesome."

"Awesome," Lindsay agreed then groaned, "We made a bit of a mess."

"Yeah, it's clear where Lucy gets her mess making skills," Danny conceded. "Look, you go ahead and get dressed and I'll clean this up."

They stood and helped each other with towels and robes. As Danny cleared the floor of residual water Lindsay dried her hair. The blow dryer shut off and he dumped the dripping towels into the hamper. He moved to stand behind her, wrapping her in his arms. Their gaze met in the mirror.

"To the laundry now?" he asked her.

Her reflection frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean are we going to fold the laundry now," he explained.

Lindsay's eye widened dramatically and her mouth dropped open. She spun in his arms and placed her hand against his forehead.

"Whaddya doin'?" he demanded.

"Checking for a fever."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Get outta here."

"Danny, you hate doing the laundry."

He shrugged. "Yeah, but I love you more so if this new set up we've got goin' on means that to spend time with you I gotta fold Lucy's ridiculously small shirts and your…I don't know…your bras or somethin' then that's what I'm gonna do. Now close that cute gapin' mouth of yours before I kiss it."

Lindsay pressed her lips together, but brought her hand up to caress his cheek. "That's pretty romantic, you know?" she pointed out.

Danny gave her skeptical look. "Yeah, I _really_ need to take you out more often Montana."

Lindsay scoffed, "And when will you have time for that?"

His expression became serious. "I'm not sure yet, but I promise I'm gonna figure this out."

Her face softened. "_We'll_ figure it out Danny. This isn't all on you. You've got nothing to prove to me ok?"

"I know that," he said a bit more harshly than he intended.

"Do you?" Lindsay implored, "Because I know you, and I know you don't want to fail the people you care about. You're also trying not to fail at this job. But I'm sorry Danny, I know you don't want to hear it but you can't hide your love for me. Whether we're at a crime scene or here at home I always know your feelings for me and our family."

"Why would you think I don't want to hear that?" Danny asked.

"I don't know, men don't usually like hearing how much of a love sick puppy dog they are," she teased.

"So are you folding the laundry by yourself then?" Danny threatened in retaliation.

She threw her hands up in surrender. "You're not getting out of it that easily Messer."

They moved to the bedroom and together spent the hour talking, laughing, and folding laundry.

The End.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading!<strong>

**Sorry for any editing mistakes. Turns out I'm really lazy. **


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